When delivering an item or items of importance, it is generally desirable to know where the item is, control who has access to the item, and know when the item has been accessed and by whom. Such tracking of the handling of an item is often generically called “chain of custody”. Establishing the chain of custody of an item can be of importance in a variety of industries and applications.
When the method of delivery is controlled, e.g., by using a trusted, responsible, and reliable person or delivery service or method, the chain of custody information can be collected (e.g., by manual or electronic record keeping) and controlled (e.g., by allowing only authorized persons access to the items). In certain instances, it may be desirable or necessary to deliver important items using a method of delivery that is not sufficiently trusted and/or responsible and/or reliable for purposes of maintaining a chain of custody (e.g., various mechanical transport systems, unreliable delivery persons, delivery services without confirmation, etc.). In these cases, another system and method must be implemented to provide a sufficient chain of custody for the item of importance.
As an example, the delivery of items to various locations via a pneumatic tube delivery system is widely known and utilized. Pneumatic tube systems can be implemented in a variety of industries, settings and environments where it is desirable to transport items between locations quickly and efficiently. For example, such systems can be implemented in financial institutions, healthcare institutions, manufacturing environments, transportation terminals, retail settings, etc. Virtually any setting where items need to be moved from one place to another can implement a pneumatic tube system.
One application where a pneumatic tube system has particular utility is in a healthcare or hospital setting where items of importance need to be transported between remote locations quickly and efficiently. Pneumatic tube systems replaced manual delivery, which was not only time consuming, but often unsecure and unreliable. In such a healthcare or hospital setting, items of importance, such as, for example, medications (both prescription and non-prescription), laboratory specimens, blood products, IV bags, equipment, etc., need to be transported quickly and reliably between locations. While such a system has its advantages for quick and reliable delivery, it also has its shortcomings when delivering items requiring restricted access to the delivered items in order to establish a sufficient chain of custody.
Typically, in such pneumatic tube delivery systems, once a container reaches its destined receiving station, it can be readily opened by whatever person happens to be at the station. Access to the tubes is not restricted. Such ease of accessibility is a particular concern in a healthcare or hospital setting when transporting prescription medications, such as, for example, narcotics. To control unrestricted access to items, systems have been developed where the container is not delivered to the receiving station until an authorized person releases it for delivery. In this manner, the system knows the authorized person is there at the receiving station to receive the container and its restricted contents. However, in these types of systems, the container remains in the pneumatic tube system at a position near the receiving station until it is released by an authorized person for delivery. The container thus blocks the tube system for further deliveries until the authorized person releases the tube for delivery to the receiving station.
The systems and methods described herein are directed toward overcoming one or more of the above-mentioned problems. Although aspects of the inventive system and method will be described herein with reference to a preferred embodiment of a hospital setting with a pneumatic tube delivery system, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the inventive system and method may be applied in an endless variety of delivery-related applications in many environments (both indoor and outdoor) without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.